Needle holder

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a needle holder ( 5 ) for use in a filling machine, the needle holder serving for accommodating a plurality of needles ( 6 ) for filling vials, ampoules or the like, and the respective needle having a tubular needle section ( 7 ) and a needle attachment ( 8 ) which can be connected to a filling tube or the like, and with means for fastening the needles on the needle holder.  
     It is an object of the invention to ensure, in the case of such a needle holder, that needles can be changed simply and within a short period of time under optimal sterility conditions. This is achieved by a retaining element ( 11 ) which is provided on one side with a plurality of mutually parallel grooves ( 13 ) for accommodating the needle sections of the needles, and also by clamping elements ( 16 ) which can be connected to the retaining element and are intended for fixing the needles in the grooves.

[0001] The invention relates to a needle holder for use in a filling machine, the needle holder serving for accommodating a plurality of needles for filling vials, ampoules or the like, and the respective needle having a tubular needle section and a needle attachment which can be connected to a filling tube or the like, and with means for fastening the needles on the needle holder.

[0002] Such a needle holder is known in practice. It has a plurality of adapters for accommodating the needles, which are clamped by means of a tommy screw. This needle holder is extremely laborious to handle. For example, suitable adapters are required for each needle side. This makes preparational assembly of the machine more difficult. The needles have too much play in the holder, and as a result they would need to be aligned each time they are installed. The adapters are seated differently in the holder. The needle is skewed when the respective needle is clamped in the adapter. Moreover, the needle is not fixed to a sufficient extent. This results in the tip of the needle being made to oscillate during production, and the product is thus slung into the machine from the needle. The tommy screws have to be tightened by a special tool. Finally, a special tool has to be used to align the needles over the vials, ampoules or the like. The tips of the needles usually penetrate to different extents into the filling and stick there, or the final drop of product does not come away properly. This results in filling fluctuations. The sterile needle requires too many manipulations, and there is thus a risk of said needle becoming unsterile.

[0003] It is an object of the present invention, in the case of a needle holder of the type mentioned in the introduction, to avoid the abovementioned disadvantages, in particular to develop the needle holder so as to ensure that needles can be changed simply and within a short period of time under optimal sterility conditions.

[0004] The object is achieved, in the case of a needle holder of the type mentioned in the introduction, by a retaining element which is provided on one side with a plurality of mutually parallel grooves for accommodating the needle sections of the needles, and also by clamping elements which can be connected to the retaining element and are intended for fixing the needles in the grooves.

[0005] A particular application area of the invention is medical technology, preferably the filling of ampoules with a wide range of different medical products. Such ampoules may have, for example, a filling volume of 1 ml.

[0006] In the case of the needle holder according to the invention, the needles are fixed directly between the retaining element and the clamping elements. The needles are positioned with their needle sections in the grooves of the retaining elements and are fixed by means of the clamping elements. The retaining element is preferably the component which is relatively stationary, while the clamping elements constitute the smaller components, which are thus particularly easy to release from the retaining element and to connect thereto.

[0007] According to a particular embodiment of the invention, it is provided that the respective groove is of V-shaped design. This allows the tubular needle section of the respective needle to be positioned in a self-centering manner in the groove. This applies to needle sections of different external diameters. Needle sections with a relatively small diameter are positioned in the groove base between the two V-shaped flanks of the groove and are fixed by means of clamping-element protrusions which project into the groove. Tubular needle sections with a larger external diameter, in some circumstances, project out of the groove to some extent and are fixed in this centered position by means of the clamping elements.

[0008] The retaining element is advantageously designed as a retaining plate which is provided with the grooves in the region of one main surface. This retaining plate is, in particular, of cuboidal design, with the result that it can easily be connected to a correspondingly planar surface of a bearing element of the filling machine. The retaining element and bearing element of the filling machine can be positioned particularly straightforwardly if the retaining element and bearing element are provided with centering means. It is possible to provide on the retaining element, for example, centering bolts, which pass through centering bores in the bearing element. The retaining element and bearing element may be connected in the customary manner by means of a screw/nut connection. For straightforward release, this nut is designed, in particular, as a wing nut. Corresponding centering and/or connection is also advantageous in respect of the retaining element and the clamping elements. The clamping elements are designed, in particular, as clamping plates, preferably each groove being assigned a clamping plate. The needles can easily be aligned in that their needle attachments come into contact with the retaining element, in particular, in the case of the retaining element being of cuboidal design, a side surface of the retaining plate which runs perpendicularly to the longitudinal extent of the grooves.

[0009] The straightforward assembly and dismantling of the individual parts of the needle holder allows these parts to be easily sterilized. The needles may optionally be preassembled or inserted on the filling machine. The needle holder can be easily sterilized in the event of a batch change. The needles are located in a self-centering manner in the grooves. It is possible for all needle diameters to be inserted in the same securing means. The needle height is uniform when the needle is pushed right up against the retaining element. The easy handling during installation under clean-room conditions considerably reduces the risk of the needles becoming unsterile.

[0010] In order to insert a needle, the wing nut, for example, of the clamping plate is released; it does not need to be unscrewed. The needle is pushed laterally beneath the clamping plate and pressed into the groove, and the nut is tightened by hand. It is no longer necessary for the needle to be pushed through an unsterile opening from above. If the needle comes up against an obstruction, for example, if ampoules are used, against the ampoule neck, then the needle, rather than bending, is pushed upward and can be reset. The risk of the machine breaking down is considerably reduced by the needle holder according to the invention.

[0011] The invention is illustrated in the drawing of the figures with reference to an exemplary embodiment, without being restricted thereto. In the drawing:

[0012]FIG. 1 shows a three-dimensional view of part of a filling machine with needle holder, and

[0013]FIG. 2 shows a front view of the needle holder, with one needle removed.

[0014] The filling machine 1 has a transporting device 2 for transporting ampoules 3 which are open at the top. The respective ampoule 3 is inserted, in a vertically oriented position, in a mount 4 of the transporting device 2. The mounts 4 are moved cyclically in the direction of the arrow A by means which are not shown. Since the needle holder 5, which is arranged above the transporting device 2, accommodates six needles 6 and, accordingly, six ampoules 3 can be filled during each cycle, the process advances by six ampoules 3 in three case per cycle.

[0015] The respective needle 6 has a tubular needle section 7 and a needle attachment 8 which is connected to the needle section at the top and onto which a filling tube (not illustrated) can be plugged. The filling tubes connected to the needles 6 lead to a filling pump (not shown) by means of which the liquid which is to be introduced into the ampoules 3 is fed from a main tank (which is not shown either).

[0016] The needle holder 5 is retained in a bearing plate 9 which is mounted in a vertically displaceable lifting unit 10. The means for vertically raising and lowering the lifting unit 10 are not illustrated. By means of the lifting unit 10, it is possible for the needle holder 5, with the needles 6 accommodated by it, to be partially introduced into the ampoules 3 aligned beneath the needles 6, for the purpose of filling the ampoules 3, and to be raised above the level of the ampoules 3 following the filling operation, with the result that the filled ampoules 3 can be transported out of the region of the needle holder 5 and the next six ampoules 3 can be filled.

[0017] The needle holder 5 has a cuboidal retaining plate 11 which is provided with six mutually parallel grooves 13, for accommodating the needle sections 7, in the region of the main surface 12. The respective groove 13 is of V-shaped design, with the result that needles 6 with needle sections 7 of different thicknesses can be centered via said grooves. The respective needle 6 is aligned vertically in relation to the retaining plate 11 in that the needle attachment 8 butts against the top surface 15 of the retaining plate 11 by way of its end surface 14 directed toward the needle section 7.

[0018] Clamping plates 16 serve for fixing the needles 6 in the grooves 13, one clamping plate 16 acting on each needle 6. The respective clamping plate 16 has a top and bottom centering bore 17 and a fastening bore 18 located between these. Mutually parallel centering pins 19, which are connected to the retaining plate 12, are aligned with the centering bores 17. Arranged between said centering pins is a threaded pin 20, which is likewise connected to the retaining plate 11. In order to fix the respective needle 6, the clamping plate 16 is moved against the retaining plate 11, the centering pins 19 passing through the centering bores 17 and the threaded pin 20 projecting through the fastening bore 18. The width of the clamping plate 16 is selected such that it projects slightly beyond the groove 13. With the needle 6 positioned in the groove 13 and the clamping plate 16 positioned on the needle section 7, a wing nut 21, if appropriate with a washer, screwed onto the threaded pin 16 is tightened, as a result of which the positioned needle is fixed. In order to insert or remove the needle 6, there is no need to unscrew the wing nut 21 completely from the threaded pin 20. It is sufficient if the respective clamping plate 16 can be raised up slightly from the retaining plate 11, with the result that the needle 6 can be moved out laterally beneath the clamping plate 16 or introduced laterally beneath the clamping plate 16.

[0019] On each side of the needle region, the retaining plate 11 has a centering bore 23 and a fastening bore 24. On one side, the centering bore 23 is arranged at the bottom and the fastening bore 24 is arranged at the top and, on the other side, the centering bore 23 is arranged at the top and the fastening bore 24 is arranged at the bottom. In alignment with the bores 23 and 24, centering pins 25 and threaded pins 26 are connected to the bearing plate 9.

[0020] The needle holder 5 preassembled with the adjusted six needles 6 is connected in a centered manner to the bearing plate 9 in that the retaining plate 11 is plugged onto the centering pins 25 of the bearing plate 9 in the region of its centering bores 23. Wing nuts 27 are screwed onto the threaded pins 26, as a result of which the needle holder 5 is securely connected to the lifting unit 10.

[0021] List of Designations:

[0022]1 Filling machine

[0023]2 Transporting device

[0024]3 Ampoule

[0025]4 Mount

[0026]5 Needle holder

[0027]6 Needle

[0028]7 Needle section

[0029]8 Needle attachment

[0030]9 Bearing plate

[0031]10 Lifting unit

[0032]11 Retaining plate

[0033]12 Main surface

[0034]13 Groove

[0035]14 End surface

[0036]15 Top surface

[0037]16 Clamping plate

[0038]17 Centering bore

[0039]18 Fastening bore

[0040]19 Centering pin

[0041]20 Threaded pin

[0042]21 Wing nut

[0043]22 Washer

[0044]23 Centering bore

[0045]24 Fastening bore

[0046]25 Centering pin

[0047]26 Threaded pin

[0048]27 Wing nut 

1. A needle holder (5) for use in a filling machine (1), the needle holder (5) serving to accommodate a plurality of needles (6) for filling vials, ampoules (3) or the like, and the respective needle (6) having a tubular needle section (7) and a needle attachment (8) which can be connected to a filling tube or the like, and with means for fastening the needles (6) on the needle holder (5), which comprises a retaining element (11) which is provided on one side with a plurality of mutually parallel grooves (13) for accommodating the needle sections (7) of the needles (6), and also comprises clamping elements (16) which can be connected to the retaining element (11) and are intended for fixing the needles (6) in the grooves (13).
 2. The needle holder as claimed in claim 1, wherein the retaining element (11): is designed as a retaining plate which is provided with the grooves (13) in the region of one main surface (12).
 3. The needle holder as claimed in claim 2, wherein the retaining plate (11) in the region of the other main surface, can be connected to a bearing element (9) of the filling machine (1).
 4. The needle holder as claimed in claim 3, wherein centering means (23, 25) are provided for the defined positioning of the retaining plates (11) and bearing element (9).
 5. The needle holder as claimed in one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the retaining plate (11) is of cuboidal design.
 6. The needle holder as claimed in one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the needle attachments (8) come into contact with the retaining element (11).
 7. The needle holder as claimed in one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the clamping elements (16) are designed as clamping plates.
 8. The needle holder as claimed in claim 7, wherein each groove (13) is assigned a clamping plate (16).
 9. The needle holder as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, wherein centering means (17, 19) are provided for the defined positioning of the retaining plate (11) and clamping plate (16).
 10. The needle holder as claimed in one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the respective groove (13) is of V-shaped design. 